Device for receiving and onwardly transporting coils of rolled strip which are transported to said device from a strip rolling mill or a rolled strip storage unit

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for receiving, transporting onwards and unwinding coils of rolled strip (WB) which are successively transported to the device from a strip rolling mill or a rolled strip storage unit. The device consists of a carousel-type support (KT) which can be driven in rotation about a vertical axis (VA) and on which a pair of radially projecting, rotationally mounted support mandrels (TD) with axial locking elements are located, these support mandrels being angularly offset from each other about 190°. The carousel support (KT) pivots the support mandrels out of a receiving position (A) for the coils of rolled strip (WB), into an unwinding position (C), about a pivot angle of 180°. The carousel support also has at least two other support mandrels (TD II and TD IV) which are offset from the two aforementioned support mandrels (TD I and TD III) by 90°, respectively. Other processing positions (B and D) for removing the coil binding strip and marking or applying the coil binding strip are provided between the receiving position (A) and the unwinding position (C) and between the unwinding position (C) and the receiving position (A) of the support mandrels (TD I, TD II, TD III, TD IV), angularly offset about 90°, respectively.

[0001] The invention pertains to a device for receiving, transporting, and unwinding coils of rolled strip, which have been transported to said device in succession from a strip rolling mill or a rolled strip storage unit, the device consisting of a carousel support, which can be driven in rotation around a vertical axis and which is equipped with four rotatably mounted support mandrels with axial locking elements, the mandrels being offset by 90° from each other and projecting in the radial direction, the carousel support rotating the mandrels around a certain pivot angle from a position in which the coils of rolled strip can be received into a position in which the coils of rolled strip can be removed or unwound.

[0002] Devices of this type, by means of which a rolled strip being delivered from a rolling mill is wound into a coil on a rotating, motor-driven support mandrel, mounted on a carousel support, and by means of which the coil is then brought into a different position by the carousel support and unwound again in this position (EP-A-0 576 890 and FR-A-1 158 457), are already known. According to another known proposal, four support mandrels are mounted 90° apart, in a crosswise manner, on each of a pair of carousel supports, which are set up a certain distance apart. A strip shear is installed between the two carousel supports. With this system, coils of rolled strip are pushed in succession onto the support mandrels of the one carousel support; the strips are unwound and sent to the strip shear; and the strips thus formed are sent to the support mandrel of the other carousel support and wound up on it (U.S. Pat. No. 2,202,883). Another known proposal involves the installation of a carousel support in a strip rolling mill between two rows of rolling stands. This carousel carries two pairs of winding reels, which are spaced a certain distance apart and rotationally offset from each other. In this arrangement, the rolled strip being delivered from the one row of rolling stands of the strip rolling mill is wound up and possibly processed on the first pair of winding reels; the strip is then sent on to the second pair of winding reels for further processing and finally transferred from them to the other row of rolling stands (DE-C-972 603). According to yet another proposal, the support mandrels mounted on the carousel support are used to bring the coils of rolled strip, which have been delivered by a ground-level transport device or a walking beam and turned so that their center axis is horizontal, onto one of the support mandrels, to hold the coil axially in place on the mandrel, to pivot the support mandrel together with the coil of rolled strip into the unwinding position, and finally to unwind the coil. In the meantime, the following coil can be pushed onto the first support mandrel, now in the receiving position, and locked in place on it (U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,244).

[0003] The invention is based on the task of improving this device in such a way that it can be used not only to receive, pivot, unwind, and remove the coils of rolled strip arriving from a strip rolling mill or from a coil storage unit but also, in association with these pivoting movements, to subject the delivered coil of rolled strip to additional processing steps and then to send it onward once again, such further processing consisting of, for example, a coil inspection, the attachment of coil binding straps, the removal of coil binding straps, the labeling of the coil, the weighing of the coil, etc., which have in the past been done on a separate preparation reel.

[0004] This task is accomplished in that the carousel support has at least two positions between, and offset in each case by 90° from, the receiving position and the unwinding position, these new positions being provided with devices for removing the coil binding straps, for labeling the coil, for binding the coil, etc. In accordance with a further provision of the invention, a permanently installed rotary drive, which can be coupled for rotation in common with the support mandrel opposite it, can be provided in the area of the unwinding position. In addition, a strip shear can be provided near this unwinding position, in the path along which the strip being unwound passes. A straightening device can be installed downstream from the strip shear. This design of the device according to the invention takes up much less space and requires less work for preparing the foundations. The device also makes it possible to eliminate some of the previously required intermediate transfers of the coils and thus to eliminate the receiving and transport devices required for these intermediate transfers.

[0005] The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing.

[0006] As can be seen from the drawing, four support mandrels TDI, TDII, TDIII, and TDIV are mounted on the carousel support KT, which can rotate around the vertical axis VA. The mandrels are offset 90° from each other. They are supported on the carousel support KT in a manner not shown so that they can rotate around their longitudinal axes. Each support mandrel TD has a locking device RV for holding axially in place the coil which has been pushed onto the mandrel. When the carousel support KT turns in the direction of the arrow S, the support mandrels are pivoted in a succession of 90° steps; thus a mandrel starting at position A will be moved in succession to each of the following positions B, C, and D. At position C, a coupling device KV, which can be slid axially or pivoted into position, is installed in a stationary drive housing AG, axially opposite the support mandrel which has arrived in this position; in the present case, this is mandrel TDIII.

[0007] The device operates as follows. A coil of rolled strip WB, indicated in broken line, which has been brought by a walking beam or other conveying device from a strip rolling mill or a rolled strip storage unit, is pushed onto the support mandrel I, which is in position A. The coil is locked axially in place by the locking device RV and subjected to a coil processing operation such as an inspection. Then the carousel support KT rotates around the vertical axis VA by 90° in the direction of the arrow S and brings the coil WB into position B. In this position, the coil WB can be subjected to another process or the binding strap can be removed. The next rotational step of the carousel support KT by 90° pivots the coil WB into position C. While the support mandrel I is in this position, the coupling device KV is pushed forward in the direction of the double arrow P and thus connected to the mandrel. This makes it possible for the coil BD, indicated in broken line, to be unwound from the coil and possibly for the initial portion of the strip BD to be cut off by the shear BS installed downstream from the coil. The coil WB remaining on the support mandrel I after the cutting operation is then brought into position D by the next 90° rotational step of the carousel support KT. After another process such as the attachment of the binding strap, labeling, etc., the coil is pulled off the support mandrel TDI and sent on for further processing. As these processing steps are being carried out, i.e., even while the coil WB is being subjected to the first additional process after arriving in position E, the next coil WB can be pushed onto the next unoccupied support mandrel TDII, which has arrived in position A. This next coil will then be brought by the following rotational step of the support mandrel TDII into position B. The next coil WB can then be pushed onto the free support mandrel TDIII, which has now arrived in position A, etc. The coils WB of the sequence can thus be subjected simultaneously to four different processes in one period of time. 

1. Device for receiving, transporting, and unwinding coils of rolled strip (WB) which have been transported to the device in succession from a strip rolling mill or a rolled strip storage unit, consisting of a carousel support (KT) which can be driven in rotation around a vertical axis (VA) and which is equipped with four rotatably mounted support mandrels (TD) with axial locking elements (RV), the mandrels being offset by 90° from each other and projecting in the radial direction, the carousel support rotating the mandrels around a certain pivot angle from a position (A) in which the coils of rolled strip (WB) can be unwound or removed, characterized in that positions with devices for the further processing of the coils of rolled strip (WB) such as devices for removing the coil binding strap, for labeling, for binding the coil, etc., are provided for the carousel support (KT) between, and with a 90° offset in each case from, the receiving position (A) and the unwinding position of the support mandrels (TD).
 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized by a rotational drive installed permanently in the area of the unwinding position (C), which drive can be coupled to the support mandrel (TDI, TDII, TDIII, TDIV) which is opposite it at the time in question.
 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized by a strip shear (BS), which is installed near the unwinding position (C) in the path along which the unwound strip travels.
 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized by a straightening device downline from the strip shear (BS). 